All Star number eight for Kate

Dean Goodison

Kate Kelly receives her All Star from camogie President Catherine Neary as special guest Brent Pope and Judy Mullane of Liberty Insurance look onThe All Star camogie team for 2015 after the announcement in Citywest Hotel on Saturday

After a long inter-county season, Kate Kelly was the only non-All-Ireland finalist to take home an All Star as the St. Ibar's/Shelmalier clubwoman bagged the eighth gong of her camogie career in a glitzy ceremony in the Citywest Hotel on Saturday.

The experienced attacker was pivotal to a Wexford campaign that saw them push Galway all the way to the brink in the championship semi-final before going down to a Niamh McGrath score in the seventh minute of added time.

In previous years the All Star committee has made some strange decisions but they have always opted to spread the glory around, with an absolute minimum of four counties recognised every year since 2004.

This year saw that formula ripped up with Cork and Galway sharing the other 14 awards.

That meant disappointment for the other five Wexford nominees. Maybe unluckiest of all not to gain selection was Shelley Kehoe.

The Oulart-The Ballagh utility player might have been hampered by her versatility as she missed out to Kelly, Niamh McGrath and Orla Cotter in the half-forward line.

In goal Rathnure's Laura Brennan was nominated along with Aoife Murray and Susan Earner, but the Cork stopper took home the sixth All Star of a long career with the Rebelettes.

Ciara Storey was the Slaneysiders' lone nomination in the full-back line. The All-Ireland champions had Pamela Mackey included in the inside-back trio with Galway represented by Sarah Dervan and Heather Cooney.

For years Mary Leacy hasn't got the recognition her endeavours deserve and the Oulart-The Ballagh clubwoman missed out again, with Senior players' player of the year Gemma O'Connor joined by team-mate Rena Buckley and Galway's Lorraine Ryan in the half-back line.

Wexford had no nomination in midfield where Milford star Aisling Thompson took one position and Galway captain and taliswoman Niamh Kilkenny took the other.

Katrina Parrock was the sixth and final Wexford nomination in the full-forward line but she was beaten to an All Star by Tribeswomen Ailish O'Reilly and Molly Dunne, while there was also a gong for experienced Cork dual star Briege Corkery.

The Cork boss, Paudie Murray, took the 'manager of the year' title, Trish Jackman from Waterford was named Intermediate players' player of the year, while Carlow's Kate Nolan completed a good night for the other south-east counties with the Junior equivalent.